Hello, I'm Vasili and I've been working as a web developer for the last 7 years. I was working as a waiter on a 7-day basis, but that changed. I've always been good with using PCs and doing stuff with them. But I never thought my hobby could also be my job — because I always thought something many people are thinking right now:

If you want to work as a programmer / web developer, you HAVE to have university degrees.

Well guess what? That might have been the case 20 years ago, but NOT ANYMORE.

If people like me have followed this path and managed to get a job in the industry, that means you can also do it — as long as you persist and focus.

Please note: I am NOT affiliated with any of the following websites / YouTube channels.

The basics

These are the really basic fundamentals. Without them, you will not be able to do anything at all. For me, it was 6 full months of learning through websites and YouTube videos. The goal is to build habits and to be learning something every day, no matter how big or small.

• FreeCodeCamp — If you follow FreeCodeCamp's curriculum, you will have pretty solid foundations to start your career as a web developer.
• The Net Ninja's YouTube channel — The right combination of explaining concepts and teaching by example.

Congratulations! With these basics, you have what it takes to apply for junior roles.

Tips on growing and learning more

After you know the basics, you have to keep experimenting. Try to recreate existing websites and applications. I started making clones of small projects and once I was more confident, I moved on to learning new concepts and frameworks: TypeScript, Node.js, Next.js, Redux, UI libraries, PHP, Symfony...

The best way to learn at this stage is exposure. There will be bad days — programming is hard. Why would companies pay so much money to get developers if it were easy?

The key is CONSISTENCY. Learn the basics, land your first job, and keep learning. You don't need to be at the top 5% to get a job, but you have to learn something small every day.

You will always find something new to learn. You will experience imposter syndrome. You will be stuck on a bug for hours. Your skills will improve over time — but even people with decades of experience use Google, Reddit, and Stack Overflow daily.

Good luck. It's hard, but it's well worth it.